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WorldView

Clinton Administration Working to Head off Collapse of Northern Ireland's Government

Aired February 9, 2000 - 6:07 p.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: To another trouble spot now: High- level talks continue in an effort to prevent the collapse of Northern Ireland's fragile coalition government. Much of the action has been behind the scenes.

CNN's White House correspondent Major Garrett joins us with details.

Hello, Major.

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Judy. The president's top national security advisers have been working all day talking with all sides in the current impasse in Northern Ireland. The British and Irish governments have been, working the phones as well, and all sides consider the next 24 hours crucial to resolving the current impasse.

Earlier today, the president said he hoped the teetering peace process can be saved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think we're -- everyone understands that we're at a very important moment and we're trying to keep it going and we have a chance. And I just hope everyone will 00 everyone will belly up to the bar and do their part so that we don't have any kind of backsliding or reversal here.

We've come too far.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GARRETT: The U.S., British and Irish governments are looking for a statement from the Irish Republican Army explicitly committing to a decommissioning of its weapons and a timetable for that process to begin and to be completed.

Administration sources tell CNN that the president's top national security advisers are being apprised of any and all developments regarding what the IRA may say on the decommissioning issue. A key part of the discussions, administration sources tell CNN, center on whether the IRA will offer any symbolic gesture in the coming days which would be interpreted as a handing over of any weapons. British Northern Ireland secretary David (sic) Mandelson spoke to the decommissioning issue today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER MANDELSON, BRITISH NORTHERN IRELAND SECRETARY: If politics is to work and if we are going to -- and if we are to see the decommissioning that is an essential part of the peace process, then there must be certainty, there must be definiteness if confidence in all the institutions is going to be rebuilt. And I say to the IRA, I hope that they will understand this need and even at the 11th hour respond in a constructive way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GARRETT: With time dwindling to end the latest impasse, the Clinton administration is working overtime to preserve the Good Friday accord and a slice of President Clinton's foreign policy legacy.

Major Garrett, CNN, reporting live from the White House

BERNARD SHAW, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you, Major.

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